Page:History of Greece Vol XII.djvu/39

 EARLY ENERGY k/v ALEXANDER 7 of Macedonian force. It remained to be proved whetJier the youtkful son of Philip was capable of putting down opposition and upholding the powerful organization created by his father. Moreover Perdikkas, the elder brother and predecessor of Philip, had left a son named Amyntas, now at least twenty-four years of age, to whom many looked as the proper successor.* But Alexander, present and proclaimed at once by his friends, showed himself both in word and deed, perfectly competent to the emergency. He mustered, caressed, and conciliated, the divisions of the Macedonian army and the chief officers. His addresses were judicious and energetic, engaging that the dignity of the kingdom should be maintained unimpaired,"^ and that even the Asiatic projects already proclaimed should be prosecuted with as much vigor as if Philip still lived. It was one of the first measures of Alexander to celebrate with magnificent solemnities the funeral of his deceased father. ' While the pi*eparations for it were going on, he instituted re- searches to find out and punish the accomplices of Pausanias. Of these indeed, the most illustrious person mentioned to us — Olympias — Avas not only protected by her position from punish- ment, but retained great ascendency over her son to the end of his life. Three other persons are mentioned by name as accom- plices — brothers and persons of good family from the district of Upper Macedonia called Lynkestis — Alexander, Heromenes, and Arrhabasus, sons of AiJropus. The two latter were put to death, but the first of tlie three was spared, and even promoted to important charges, as a reward for his useful forwai-dness in instantly saluting Alexander king.^ Others also, we know not how many, were executed ; and Alexander seems to have imag- ' Anian, De Eebus post Alexandrum, Fragm. ap. Pliotiiim, co(L 92. p. 220 ; Plutarch, De FortunA Alex. Magn. p. 327. Triiaa dk vrrovAog ip> 9 MaKEihuia (after the death of Philip) r/wf 'Afivvrav uTroP7.iTiovaa kuI tov( 'AepoTvov naidac. • Diod. xvii. 2. ^ Arrlan. i. 25, 2 ; Curtius, vii. 1, 6. Alexander son of Aeropns was son- in law of Antipater. The case of this Alexander — and of Olympias — afforded a certain basis to those who said (Curtius, vi. 43) that Alexander had dealt favorably with the accomplices of Pausanias.